Patients considering vision-correction surgery generally have two main questions.
How safe is it, and how quickly can they return to their daily lives?
Because vision-correction surgery is a once-in-a-lifetime decision for most patients, they need to carefully consider visual quality, safety, and recovery time. Recently, the 1-mm ultra-minimal-incision SMILE Pro has drawn attention as a technology that addresses these concerns.
SMILE Pro is a vision-correction procedure based on the ZEISS VisuMax 800, a device developed by ZEISS.
It features precision scanning technology and an automatic correction system. Its ability to precisely correct the eye’s central axis and astigmatism axis enables surgery that is more precise and safer than conventional SMILE. Laser irradiation also takes less than 10 seconds, significantly reducing patients’ tension and psychological burden during the procedure.
An advanced version of this technology is ultra-minimal-incision SMILE Pro, which reduces the incision to approximately 1 mm. Conventional SMILE surgery requires an incision of about 2–4 mm to remove the lenticule, the piece of corneal tissue used to correct vision. By contrast, ultra-minimal-incision SMILE Pro narrows the incision to the 1-mm range. The smaller the incision, the more corneal tissue is preserved and the lower the possibility of optic-nerve damage. As a result, recovery is faster, patients can return to their daily lives sooner, and concerns about infection or complications are reduced.
However, surgery involving an incision in the 1-mm range is not possible everywhere. As the incision becomes smaller, safely separating the lenticule actually becomes more difficult. Specialized techniques to reinforce the incision and dedicated surgical instruments are essential. To meet this need, a dedicated instrument using the low-energy micro-incision method, LEMI (Low Energy Micro Incision), was developed in-house and patented. It is more precise and flexible than conventional equipment, allowing the lenticule to be separated easily and safely even through a micro-incision.
The 1-mm ultra-minimal incision is made possible by a device that precisely sets the incision range, dedicated instruments, and corneal reinforcement techniques developed through extensive experience in complex corneal-transplant surgeries. During SMILE Pro surgery, the upper portion of the cornea is only about 0.11 mm thick, making sophisticated reinforcement techniques essential to prevent pressure-related damage. These three technologies work together to ensure both safety and precision even in an ultra-micro-incision environment.
Korea’s vision-correction field reached a turning point with the introduction of SMILE Pro in 2023, following SMILE. The 1-mm ultra-minimal-incision SMILE Pro is regarded as a further advancement of the technology.
Patients preparing for vision-correction surgery should examine not only the equipment but also the incision size and the reinforcement techniques supporting it. Even with the same SMILE Pro procedure, the incision range and the availability of dedicated instruments can affect not only visual quality but also recovery speed and safety.
Expert commentary: Kim Bu-gi, director of Onnuri Smile Eye Clinic
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
